The system currently operates in a number of southern Israeli cities within range of missiles fired from the Gaza Strip, including Ashkelon and Sderot. When the signature of a rocket launch is detected originating in Gaza, the system automatically activates the public broadcast warning system in nearby Israeli communities and military bases. A two-tone electronic audio alert (with a pattern of high, 2 second pause, high-low) is broadcast twice, followed by a recorded female voice[2] intoning the Hebrew words for Red Color ("Tzeva Adom").[3] The entire program is repeated until all rockets have impacted and no further launches are detected. In Sderot, it gives residents approximately 15 seconds' warning of an incoming missile.[3]

The system was installed in Ashkelon between July 2005 and April 2006.

Up to 2007, the announcement was called Red Dawn (Hebrew: שחר אדום‎, transl.: Shachar Adom) but it was changed to the Hebrew words for Red Color (Hebrew: צבע אדום‎) due to a complaint made by a 7-year-old girl named Shakhar (Hebrew for dawn).

It was the subject of a documentary, which focused on how children are to cope with an alert,[4] directed by Yoav Shoam.

Since 2014, alerts have been available on an iPhone application from the App Store. It was the most downloaded app in Israel in July 2014 during Operation Protective Edge.[5] Users can select to receive alerts for rocket attacks nationwide, or only in their districts.